Total Solar Eclipse 2009

Hi,

My priorities for the 2009 TSE were:

1. Visual. I did the best I could achieve considering the conditions.

2. Still Photography. I had to abandon my 500mm lens programme as the sun did not remain out long enough to find it (and then only weakly without any strong shadow). I just substituted the 55mm ten minutes before totality. I had not prepared for this and I just got a few shots.

3. Video. The DV Camera broke down the evening before totality.

While a difficult eclipse, it was certainly one to remember.

Sorry to hear others had less luck.

John

Congrats John on seeing any of the eclispe at all.
I had wonderded how dark it would get given the length of the eclipse, what were the prominces like ?

Sorry to hear some people didn't get to see the eclipse after making such a long trip. It seems not many people along the path of Totality in general had clear skies this year.

Seanie.

Hi,

The last minute before totality the darkness dropped alarmingly. It was really dark during totality, the darkest I have ever seen.

For the first minute or so with no eclipsed sun visible, it was uncanny!

At the end there was a magnificient row of chromosphere at the top, I think there was prominences mixed in but I cannot be sure.
It was stunning crimson red in binoculars. When I looked with the naked-eye, to my astonishment, they were just a as good. One of the party suggested the darkness of the cloudy sky contrasted with it to heighten the effect, this is a reasonable expalination.

John

Hey all,
I couldn't even imagine such darkness during an eclipse!
We were at the preselected site in Shanghai, the Dishui lake,
North from Shanghai city near the sea.
We were very lucky to observe this eclipse since the Sun became
visible just two minutes before second contact.
About thirty Greeks we saw the amazing corona through clouds as
through a natural filter!
A really glorious chromosphere and an amazing second diamond ring
that I feel so lucky being there!
There are a lot of photos from this eclipse and you may see this
stunning third contact through our videos.:woohoo:
I was really "Eclipsed" this time!

We let you know soon about all!
Yiannis

Hi Yiannis.
It's great news that you saw the eclipse!
Please post links to the images and videos when they are ready.
We would love to hear your full report.